Sise, Catena among court victors

Clark, Buchanan of Schenectady County also win in 4th District

November 7, 2012

With virtually all the votes counted by this morning in the 11-county 4th Judicial District's state Supreme Court race, it appeared two Republican judges from Montgomery County are among the four winners.

Tuesday's general election for Supreme Court in the 4th District involved eight candidates - four Republicans and four Democrats.

The Associated Press reported today that, with 99 percent of the districtwide votes counted, the winners were as follows:

Article Photos

Winning State Supreme Court candidate Felix Catena, right, speaks Tuesday night with Janice Vertucci, left, and Marie Valachovic, both of Johnstown, at a Republican gathering on Election Night at Patricia’s in Johnstown. (The Leader-Herald/Bill Trojan)

- Incumbent state Supreme Court Justice Joseph Sise of Montgomery County, with 156,930 votes, or 14 percent of the total.

- Schenectady County Family Court Judge Christine Clark, a Democrat, with 144,645 votes, or 13 percent of the total.

- Republican Thomas Buchanan, a Rotterdam attorney, with 139,104 votes, or 13 percent of the total.

The Republican defeated in the race was John T. Ellis of Franklin County, a Family Court support magistrate working in Saratoga Springs.

The three losing Democrats were Essex County attorney John M. Silvestri, with 127,307 votes, Saratoga Springs City Court Judge Jeffrey D. Wait, with 124,567 votes, and Schenectady County Family Court Judge Mark L. Powers, with 129,524 votes.

One of the 4th District justice seats will be vacated by state Supreme Court Justice Richard T. Aulisi of Caroga Lake, who is stepping down because he will reach the state's mandatory judicial retirement age of 70 by the end of the year.

State Supreme Court justice terms are for 14 years.

The winners will take office in January. The annual base salary for a state Supreme Court justice is $136,700.